WO 94/27193 discloses an electrographic printer means with which it is possible to print a web-shape recording medium in multiple colors in both simplex and duplex mode. To this end, the printer means contains a plurality of developer stations arranged following one another or side-by-side to one another that separate ink the developer regions allocated to the developer stations on an electrographic intermediate carrier (photoconductor).
In multi-color simplex mode, what is referred to as the spot color mode, a print image having a first color is first transfer-printed onto the recording medium, the print image is then fixed and the recording medium is then resupplied to the transfer printing station, and a print image is then printed with a second color and is subsequently fixed in a second task through the fixing station. The transfer printing station is thus traversed by a single recording medium in two recording medium webs arranged parallel and side-by-side. Corresponding developer regions on the photoconductor are allocated to the recording medium webs. Since photoconductors, whether they are bands or drums, cannot be arbitrarily wide, it is necessary to arrange the developer region in a side-by-side fashion on the photoconductor without significant spacing. The appertaining developer stations would thus also have to be arranged side-by-side and in close proximity. This can be managed only with difficulty with separate developer stations with separate drives for the drums. Further, an exact adjustment of the developer stations is required.
When a single developer station having a plurality of separate developer chambers is employed according to the present invention, then it is necessary to keep the partitions extremely thin. This produces sealing problems in the region of the partitions.